Cash hack: 10 tricks for cheaper train fares

Choo Choo! All aboard the ridiculously expensive train to PoorVille!

Well, not if you follow these cash hacks to get the cheapest train travel possible.

I created the infographic below a few years ago for a different article. Though the prices are out of date the principles are the same and give you a pretty clear idea of how much you’re overpaying if you just rock up at the station!

I’ve gone into more detail on each of them below.

1. Book in advance

An old tip, but still the best. Train companies generally release tickets 12 weeks in advance, though I’ve noticed a few (Virgin for example) are releasing cheaper fares earlier.

As much as I hate Trainline, it does have a useful alert system where you can get email notifications for when advanced tickets are on sale. Simply enter the dates you’ll travel and your route.

Even if you don’t get the advanced fares as soon as they go on sale, it’s still worth booking as soon as you know when you are going to travel. Though the best fares often go quick, you can still get reduced fares the day before on many routes, and some even offer an advanced discount on the day.

2. Travel off-peak

Hours vary by train company but think of it as the rush hour (or two) in the morning and late afternoon. Travel outside those times and you’ll save.

3. Split your ticket

In the wisdom of the train companies, they’ve decided that it’s sometimes cheaper to get two separate tickets and split your journey along the way. You might even be able to stay on the same train!

There are a few different companies offering this now and I find they often come up with different routes. A few to look at:

4. Check if two singles are cheaper than a return

Defying logic, it can sometimes be less to NOT buy a return ticket. It can even be less to travel in First Class if you leave it late and the advance fares are all gone.

5. Get a season ticket

Travelling a lot? A season ticket might be cheaper. Most lines will sell weekly, monthly and annual ones. If yours expires before the New Year, it’s always worth renewing before January 2nd, as that’s when prices are hiked up.

It’s worth seeing if your employer will provide an interest-free loan to buy the season ticket. You’ll pay it back over the year straight from your salary, so it’s a bit like getting the discount each month.

The terms & conditions vary for each but you can save a 1/3 on travel, sometimes for people travelling with you. If you live in London or the South East and already have an annual season ticket (including TFL) then you also have a Gold Card, which is pretty much the same as the Network Card.

From time to time, there are discounts on railcards which I’ll feature on my Travel Deals page.

10. Claim a refund for any train delays

Each company has slightly different rules, but essentially if you are delayed more than 30 minutes once the journey has started there is a good chance you’ll be able to claim something, possibly 50%. If it’s over an hour you might get the whole lot back. A handful have recently cut the time to a 15-minute delay.

Ask at the ticket office or look on the train operator’s website for more information. If your journey is split between two different companies and a delay on the first one makes you miss the connection, it’s less likely you’ll get something.

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